White House 'strongly condemns' Morsi slurs against Jews

1/15/13 2:19 PM EST

White House press secretary Jay Carney said the administration "strongly condemns" slurs made against Jews and Zionists by Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi.

Morsi, during a speech in 2010 and subsequent television interview, urged Egyptians to “nurse our children and our grandchildren on hatred” for Jews and Zionists and then slammed Zionists as “these bloodsuckers who attack the Palestinians, these warmongers, the descendants of apes and pigs,” the New York Times reported.

"President Morsi should make clear he respects people of all faiths," Carney said during a press briefing Tuesday. He said the administration has raised its concerns with the Egyptian government. "...We have raised our concerns over these remarks with the government of Egypt."

"We strongly condemn these comments," he said. "...This type of rhetoric is unacceptable in a democratic Egypt."

Carney added that the remarks are an example of the type of discourse that has long fanned hatred in the region.

"We believe that language like that is too tolerated in the region," he said. "...It is counter to peace."